Source: http://www.life-with-siamese-cats.com/bathing-a-cat.html From the balcony I saw my housemate Juko washing the cats in a basin. It must have been his first time, because no one washes a cat a second time. (Am I right? Have you ever tried?) The first one was the kitten Cordelia, and she didn’t fight back. She just froze in terror as he pushed her face close to the water.
But Romeo fought back. He was a kitten, but I can see that he’s a man now, the way he clawed against the bucket edge and lunged forward with Juko’s hands wrapped tight around him. Romeo is strong now. Through his short white and grey hair, you can see muscle tone. He got attacked by the dogs the first time he went outside, but now he roams around the compound freely and loses the dogs in the trees. I once saw Romeo jump eight feet in the air onto a tree branch. It was magnificent. Sometimes I wonder what would happen if the monkeys came through while Romeo was in the trees, and I hope I am here looking out the window at the time. Anyway, he was not going down in a tub of soapy water. It was very obvious to me that this cat was fighting for his life.
“Juko, you are washing the cats?”
“Yes, yes.”
“I don’t think they want to be washed. I mean, look. That one is fighting for his life!”
Juko laughed.
I considered making a Nalufenya joke and decided that was inappropriate. Juko told me that he wanted to dry the cats on the balcony, so I offered to help. I wasn’t optimistic about the plan, because it was around 6pm and there wasn’t a lot of sun left for drying, but nevertheless I went downstairs to find the cats.
Have you ever seen a wet cat? It’s possibly the most pitiful sight on earth. They’re so skinny like little rats, and shivering. I don’t know if a cat can feel shame, but a wet cat embodies the feeling.
“Salsa,” I asked my niece, “These cats need to warm up. What makes you feel warm?”
“I feel warm when there’s a hot breeze blowing on me.”
“You know, actually, that’s brilliant. I do have a blow drier… but I had something else in mind. What do you like to do when you get out of the pool and you’re all wet and cold?”
“A towel?”
“Yes. A big fluffy warm towel. Come on, let’s go warm up the cats.”
“We could also get your blow drier!”
“Yeah, maybe, Salsa. Let’s try the towels first.”
Cradling a kitten in a towel has to be the second cutest experience there is, and the first is watching a six year old do it. I should have taken a picture, but we were living in the moment. We got Cordelia and Juliet into the towels and on the mend from their near-death experience. I cautioned Salsa to be careful with them, because they were probably traumatized.
She understood and kept watch while I went looking for Romeo with a towel over my shoulder. I scoured the house and walked the tree line, using my phone as a torch, peeking around for where I might go if I were a cat, but I couldn’t find him. Having witnessed Romeo’s experience, I imagine it must have hurt his pride and he doesn’t even want to be found right now. I hope he comes back soon though. I’ll give him extra cuddles.
The moral of this story is: don’t wash cats. For the sake of human-cat relations, I beg!
But Romeo fought back. He was a kitten, but I can see that he’s a man now, the way he clawed against the bucket edge and lunged forward with Juko’s hands wrapped tight around him. Romeo is strong now. Through his short white and grey hair, you can see muscle tone. He got attacked by the dogs the first time he went outside, but now he roams around the compound freely and loses the dogs in the trees. I once saw Romeo jump eight feet in the air onto a tree branch. It was magnificent. Sometimes I wonder what would happen if the monkeys came through while Romeo was in the trees, and I hope I am here looking out the window at the time. Anyway, he was not going down in a tub of soapy water. It was very obvious to me that this cat was fighting for his life.
“Juko, you are washing the cats?”
“Yes, yes.”
“I don’t think they want to be washed. I mean, look. That one is fighting for his life!”
Juko laughed.
I considered making a Nalufenya joke and decided that was inappropriate. Juko told me that he wanted to dry the cats on the balcony, so I offered to help. I wasn’t optimistic about the plan, because it was around 6pm and there wasn’t a lot of sun left for drying, but nevertheless I went downstairs to find the cats.
Have you ever seen a wet cat? It’s possibly the most pitiful sight on earth. They’re so skinny like little rats, and shivering. I don’t know if a cat can feel shame, but a wet cat embodies the feeling.
“Salsa,” I asked my niece, “These cats need to warm up. What makes you feel warm?”
“I feel warm when there’s a hot breeze blowing on me.”
“You know, actually, that’s brilliant. I do have a blow drier… but I had something else in mind. What do you like to do when you get out of the pool and you’re all wet and cold?”
“A towel?”
“Yes. A big fluffy warm towel. Come on, let’s go warm up the cats.”
“We could also get your blow drier!”
“Yeah, maybe, Salsa. Let’s try the towels first.”
Cradling a kitten in a towel has to be the second cutest experience there is, and the first is watching a six year old do it. I should have taken a picture, but we were living in the moment. We got Cordelia and Juliet into the towels and on the mend from their near-death experience. I cautioned Salsa to be careful with them, because they were probably traumatized.
She understood and kept watch while I went looking for Romeo with a towel over my shoulder. I scoured the house and walked the tree line, using my phone as a torch, peeking around for where I might go if I were a cat, but I couldn’t find him. Having witnessed Romeo’s experience, I imagine it must have hurt his pride and he doesn’t even want to be found right now. I hope he comes back soon though. I’ll give him extra cuddles.
The moral of this story is: don’t wash cats. For the sake of human-cat relations, I beg!
